Monday, March 30, 2009

Sullivan's Travels and April's Sadness

There is a scene in the 1941 Preston Sturges movie Sullivan's Travels that absolutely killed me this weekend. The male lead wakes up in a shelter without his shoes.

It's a stereotype. (There are a ton in this movie). But the thing they got right: stuff happens when you're homeless, shelter or not. Your day labor job ruins your only set of clothes. You set your bag down, turn around, and it's gone. You drop quarters in a phone and get a wrong number. Your friend takes off with the money for the deposit, you sprain an ankle and on and on.

Now April is almost here. Surprise! More fun. April 1st, a shelter closes for 40 women (apparently it's mild enough, we don't have to be concerned about these 40 women now facing being outside at night). There are 50 men facing the same fate when they close the shelter at the King County Administration building.

This winter shelter stuff has been a problem the entire 15 years I've been here. Can't we figure something out?